When full width is too wide

[damarble]

Well I need to make some decisions, namely what lug pattern I'm going to run. At first 5x5.5 was the easy choice with the 8.8 rear and D44 front, but it's not that simple. The extra width is starting to worry me. My baseline for width is the old D30 with 4" backspacing 15x8 wheels, giving 68.5" between outer wheel edges.

So I'm looking at 17-18x8 5x5.5, 5x135, 6x5.5, and 6x135, my reasoning:

5x5.5 - Easiest, already have it. Greatest backspacing I can find is 5.31", making a 71.4" width.

5x135 - Would have to convert the D44 without using spacers. Redrilling or? I have the 9.75 rear I could use that's already 5x135. I love some of the stock F150 wheels in this pattern. Max aftermarket BS is the same as 5x5.5.

6x5.5 - Huge aftermarket in this size. Front is cake to convert, rear will be a challenge. Plenty of wheels with 5.5"+ BS for a 71" or less width.

6x135. Again, I like the stock wheels a lot. Also I've found wheels with as much as 6.2" BS for a 69.6" width. I have no idea where to start to get this pattern.


All in all my favorite option is 6x135, especially if I can run some stock wheels (I've seen +44 mentioned as factory offset), but will be the most difficult to convert to. Any thoughts?

 

[RockRanger]

8 on 6.5 and run some H1 beadlocks. They are like 6.5 or 7" back spacing. Not sure why you are so worried about width. Heck I have a waggy axle and I added 1.25" wheel spacers all the way around to get a bit more width.

 

[damarble]

Well these are my street wheels/tires in discussion so I don't want sticking out too far, plus want a light alloy wheel. I have some regular steelies with 36" TSLs for off road and don't care about the width. But for daily driving I need to keep johnny law happy without ridiculously wide flairs.

 

[james t]

Keep in mind once you get crazy with the backspacing, the lockouts stick out passed the sidewall of the tire and are prone to getting destroyed on rocks.

I vote stick with 5 on 5.5, and do a combination of 4.5-5" backspacing/some mild removable flares. Not "total tire coverage", but just something small so you dont look super illegal.

 

[damarble]

Again, this wheel set would be for street use only, so my lockouts won't be near rocks. The set of steelies I have for my TSLs are 8" wide overall and have 4" BS so they'll stick out plenty.

I might be best off sticking 5x5.5 and finding wheels with the max offset, 5.3", but I'd really love to run something like this:

 

[james t]

Something else to think about- if you go with one of the metric patterns it may be difficult/impossible to find an aftermarket 15" wheel in that pattern because most of the trucks out there running the bigger metric pattern wont fit 15's over the brakes... so most wheel companys didnt bother making any. So in other words you'll have to yard sale your TSL's and get 16-17's for the trail.

Id steer away from the metric stuff even though the factory wheels would look cool.

 

[ranger7ltr]

1 quick question?

Well I need to make some decisions, namely what lug pattern I'm going to run. At first 5x5.5 was the easy choice with the 8.8 rear and D44 front, but it's not that simple. The extra width is starting to worry me. My baseline for width is the old D30 with 4" backspacing 15x8 wheels, giving 68.5" between outer wheel edges.

So I'm looking at 17-18x8 5x5.5, 5x135, 6x5.5, and 6x135, my reasoning:

5x5.5 - Easiest, already have it. Greatest backspacing I can find is 5.31", making a 71.4" width.

5x135 - Would have to convert the D44 without using spacers. Redrilling or? I have the 9.75 rear I could use that's already 5x135. I love some of the stock F150 wheels in this pattern. Max aftermarket BS is the same as 5x5.5.

6x5.5 - Huge aftermarket in this size. Front is cake to convert, rear will be a challenge. Plenty of wheels with 5.5"+ BS for a 71" or less width.

6x135. Again, I like the stock wheels a lot. Also I've found wheels with as much as 6.2" BS for a 69.6" width. I have no idea where to start to get this pattern.


All in all my favorite option is 6x135, especially if I can run some stock wheels (I've seen +44 mentioned as factory offset), but will be the most difficult to convert to. Any thoughts?

Isn't the Explorer wheel bolt pattern 5 x 4.5"? OR have you converted your Explorer to a larger bolt pattern?

 

[FROADER]

^^ You're right, stock is 4.5" but damarble has swapped in a solid axle up front which is different from axle to axle of what you choose but he's got 5.5"

 

[Stic-o]

I'm Running Full widths with 17x8 4.5" BS, but if you look at old pics pre-JP I was running 15x8's with 4" BS

 

[damarble]

james t - Good point. Although for the price difference of stock ($400) wheels vs aftermarket ($1000), I still might be money ahead.

ranger7ltr - What FROADER said.

Stic-o. - Yours looks good, but if I could squeeze another inch from each side I'd feel better.


The biggest downside I see to running the metric patterns that I see is I'd have to run newer dodge knuckles with newer F150 hubs/unit bearings. And unpleasant thought. I'm not sure redrilling my current stuff to the metric pattern would work, the wheels would likely have to be bored out for the bigger hub.

 

[nssj2]

Make sure to check your tie rod clearance. With my dana 44 and 4" backspacing, I have about 1/2" between the tie rod and the wheel (15x10).

 

[damarble]

Good point. That's why I'm looking at 17"+, so it can fit over the tie rod.

 

[Stic-o]

Make sure to check your tie rod clearance. With my dana 44 and 4" backspacing, I have about 1/2" between the tie rod and the wheel (15x10).

there is a pic in my build thread of this very issue

 

[damarble]

The link in your sig? What did you figure out?

 

[mudmnky]

An option would be some stock 02-08 Ram 20's, they have a 5.18 BS on a 9" wide wheel.

 

[Stic-o]

^ Check the center hub size though, I believe they are too small

 

[damarble]

An option would be some stock 02-08 Ram 20's, they have a 5.18 BS on a 9" wide wheel.

I actually would like to use them, I think they look great. But I'm sure the hub is too small. That and 20" tires are way too much for the amount of miles I put on. 17" or 18" Treadwrights are dirt cheap.

 

[damarble]

there is a pic in my build thread of this very issue

Found your picture. How does it look now with the 17s?

 

[mudmnky]

That's true on the center hole... I had a set just recently opened up to fit a standard 3.25 centercap.... there is still alot of meat left to cut them out further. It only cost me $20 per wheel to do it.

The plan is to blast them and pc them semi-gloss black. I would have rathered gotten the 06-08's instead, but these FP's were free.

 

[mudmnky]

I actually would like to use them, I think they look great. But I'm sure the hub is too small. That and 20" tires are way too much for the amount of miles I put on. 17" or 18" Treadwrights are dirt cheap.

Back when I had my Ram was lifted, I actually found it cheaper to get 20's over 17's... but 18's were cheaper than both... go figure